MOBILEcharge: Intelligent charge management solution in use worldwide

At GoRaleigh, integration with its Intermodal Transport Control System (ITCS) and planning systems will allow for real-time charging plan updates according to operational needs, ensuring vehicles are charged in an economical and efficient manner.

GoRaleigh will use the system to monitor and coordinate charging activities efficiently, to therefore ensure electricity limits are not exceeded and the charging infrastructure will be used as efficiently as possible. They will also be able to categorise the blocks a vehicle may need to perform (e.g., distinguishing between states of charge suitable for a full-day versus rush-hour assignment), so those plans can be easily implemented again in the future. Even more, GoRaleigh will benefit from  reduced electricity costs and improved operational efficiency.

Rhein-Neckar-Verkehr GmbH (rnv), the leading public transport provider in Germany’s Rhein-Neckar Metropolitan Region, is in the early stages of launching its fleet of e-buses and electric cars. They will not only rely on the charging efficiency, but primarily on the system’s flexibility and interoperability. The charge management system will be seamlessly connected to rnv’s recently implemented depot management system for bus dispatching and duty planning. With MOBILEcharge, rnv will be empowered to efficiently and cost-effectively charge its fleet across four depots with over 100 charge points.

An important factor for rnv is the smooth interaction of solutions from different providers and this is ensured by the use of new VDV (Association of German transport companies) standard interfaces: The new VDV 463, developed in cooperation with CarMedialab, guarantees the connection between rnv’s depot, charge management, and operations control systems.
In addition, the VDV 261 interface supports the preconditioning of its e-buses.

The charge management system coordinates all charging activities and calculates charging plans using information provided by the depot management system. In addition, MOBILEcharge supports rnv in the monitoring of the entire charging  infrastructure. The software keeps track of the charging processes and the functional capability of the charging points. The connection between the charge and depot management systems allows rnv to charge slower with less amperage which will therefore extend the battery’s life. This is because information about dwell times is available, which means the entire period can be used to charge the vehicle. As a result, MOBILEcharge even reduces overall energy demands.

INIT’s intelligent charge management system will be an important prerequisite for the use of battery-driven vehicles in both the Rhein-Neckar Metropolitan Region and Raleigh. GoRaleigh and rnv are not the first transport companies to partner with INIT for their charge management systems. In recent years, transport providers in Leipzig (Germany), Bergen (Norway), and Deventer (the Netherlands), among others, have already implemented MOBILEcharge.